Equipment for moistening plants, especially tobacco



April 1961 AL. DE SAEDELEER 2,980,117

EQUIPMENT FOR MOISTENING PLANTS, ESPECIALLY TOBACCO Filed April 29, 1957 ii "R Albert L. at s i /Ear, [Mm r02 United States Patent 2,980,117 I EQUIPMENT FOR MOISTENING PLANTS, ESPECIALLY TOBACCO Albert Leopold de Saedeleer, 144 Bouwelsteenweg, Nijlen, Belgium Filed Apr. 29, 1957, Ser. No. 655,801 Claims priority, application Belgium May 8, 1956 11 Claims. Cl. 131-134 It is a well known fact that in the treatment of tobacco leaves, it is necessary to separate the individual leaves in order to subject the latter to a definite moistening process which varies according to their origin, their condition and their destination. 7

For this operation, it has already been suggested to subject the tobacco leaves to the successive action of a certaindegree of vacuum and an injection of steam. When placed in a vacuum, the tobacco leaves will have a tendency to separate through the action of a certain internal pressure, and will thus be in proper condition for receiving the subsequent injection of steam. It has also been proposed to inject steam directly under a comparatively high pressure onto and between tobacco leaves contained in a chamber which is kept at normal atmospheric pressure.

- In the first case, use must be made of a-fairly complicatedinstallation, on account of thefact that an adequate equipment must be provided for creating a more or less pronounced vacuum, and that a chamber must be designed which will besufficiently tight. In the second case, the efficiency wll be lower and there is considerable risk of damaging the tobacco, considering that the steam simple and therefore economical.

The-process consists in heaping the tobacco leaves to be'treated on .a lattice work inside a chamber'which is normally indirect communication with the atmosphere, and to create in aforesaid chamber,-by suction, a current of steam which is capable of circulating through the mass of tobacco leaves whilst at the same time a certain subatmospheric pressure is created along the wall of aforesaid chamber.

In one preferred design, the side wall of this chamber, made of a deformable and mostly supple material, is generally shaped as a cylindrical bag or sleeve open at both ends, whereby one end is fastened ahead of the heap of tobacco leaves, whereas the other end of the sleeve can float freely about the edge of the lattice work.

As a result of this arrangement, the chamber in question is, normally, in direct communication with the atmosphere, but will be closed by the action of the underpressure by being drawn tight against the circular edge on which the lattice work is supported.

According to the invention, the steam can also be conditioned in a special way in order that it should more easily condense on the heaped tobacco with the result that the latter is moistened more evenly and retains the degree of humidity which has been imparted to it.

This conditoning process, which is applied to the steam before the latter is conveyed over the tobacco, consists in oversaturating it and cooling it down, Preferably by means of an injection of water.

Aforesaid conditioning process shall preferably be carried out in an enclosed space communicating with the inlet of the chamber. in which the tobacco is stored.

In this way, it becomes possible to regulate both the flow of steam and the injection of water, which means that the condensation of the mixture in the heap of tobacco is thus made adjustable, and that a perfect mixture of both substances is ensured.

The equipment which is best suited to apply the latter process mainly consists of a carrier, of a treatment chamber resting on same and in which the tobacco is disposed, of a second chamber on one side of'the first and in communication with same, in which the steam ,is cooled and oversaturated, and lastly of a device located on the other side of aforesaid treatment chamber and capable of drawing the oversat'urated and cooled steam through the mass of tobacco.

The general arrangement as well as the machinery designed for applying the process are'subject to many variations according to the shape and the dimension of the chamber, the construction of the lattice work, the form given to the periphery of the chamber, and to the characteristics of the steam suction equipment and of the steam generator.

it is thus merely byway of example and without any limitation .being implied thereby, that a description is given hereinafter of certain designs in connection with the appended drawings of which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section representing a design according to the invention, by a plane through line [-1 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a cross-section of the apparatus by a plane through line IIII of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-section of the same apparatus by a plane through line III--III of Figure 1, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus;

Figure 4 is a cross-section of the same apparatus by a plane through line IVIV of Figure 1, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus.

In the design according to Figures 1 to 4, the carrier 1 is preferably made of a sheet which is either flat or shaped into a cylinder and rests on the frame 13 o f a trolley 14 mounted on castors so that it can easily be moved about. .The treatment chamber lz in which the mass oftobacco T is stored, should preferably-consist of a flexible transparent cylindrical jacket 10 of which both edges'can be tied airtight onto elastic annular elements 15 and 16 respectively by means ofbelts 17%18 for instariceuThis chamber rests on carrierl of the trolley 14. It occurs at once, that an installation may" consist" of several such trolleys 14, which would confer the added advantage of continuous operation. The trolleys can be loaded in advance. The inlet of the treatment chamber 12 is connectedto a cylindrical container 19 which is also mounted on castors 20, in the same way as carrier 1. Inside aforesaid container and against its closed front end 21, a tube 22 bent into circular shape is mounted, which tube is fitted on the side which faces the treatment chamber, with a number of holes 23 through which the steam ent ring through pipe 24 is projected inside the container. Behind this circular bent tube, a blower 25 is mounted on the centerline of the container, which blower is driven by an electric motor 26. Near the center of aforesaid blower 25, is the open end of a tube 27 through which preferably very cold water can be fed.

' Patented Apr. 1 8, 1961i By means of this special disposition of the steam inlet, the water inlet and the blower, it is possible to atomize the water inside the steam. In order to ensure a thorough mixture of steam and water, aforesaid elements are mounted at a properly chosen distance from the treatment chamber. Any excess of atomized water is removed through a set of perforations provided on part of the bottom of container 19, and is collected into a pan 2S fitted with a drain-pipe 29. In order to prevent the heap of tobacco T from shifting inside the treatment chamber 12, both ends of the latter are fitted at 2 and 19 with a grid, 34 31 respectively. The outlet of treatment chamber 12 is connected to a funnel-shaped element 2, the smaller end of which is connected with the inlet 4 of an aspirator 5 the outlet of which can either be connected to the atmosphere or to a closed circuit. Aspirator 5 is driven by an electric motor 32 by means of pulleys 33-34, belts 35 and shaft 36. Finally, the whole of this aspirator is enclosed preferably in a housing 37.

The operation of this equipment is as follows:

A heap of tobacco leaves T is enclosed in the jacket and loaded on a trolley 14 which is subsequently placed between the fixed funnel-shaped part and the movable container 19. The free edges of aforesaid jacket 10 are then laid around the plastic annular elements 15 and 16 which are preferably made of spongerubher, and are firmly applied against the latter by the belts 17-18 respectively which are laid around aforesaid edges. The aspirator 5 is put into action and creates an underpressure and an axial draft through the mass of tobacco. Simultaneously, the blower is put into action and steam and water are admitted through the pipes 22-24 and 27 respectively. The mixture which has thus been obtained in the cylindrical container 19 is then drawn through the mass of tobacco T by the aspirator 5, and expelled through the outlet of the latter.

It is obvious that some of the components of aforesaid equipment may be replaced by others which answer the same purpose, and that further elements can be added which might contribute to an improvement of the overall performance.

The invention concerns not only the process, but also the quipment by means of which this process can be applied.

What I claim is:

1. An installation for applying moisture to plants, such as tobacco, characterized by the fact that it consists essentially of a readily movable carrier, a flexible treatment chamber disposed on said carrier, said treatment chamber being adapted to contain a mass of tobacco, a second chamber, next to and in communication with said first mentioned chamber, wherein steam is adapted to be cooled and oversaturated, a first grid means disposed between said first and second chamber, means located at the other side of said first chamber adapted to draw said cooled and saturated steam through said first chamber, and a second grid means disposed between said first chamber and said means being located at the other side of said chamber.

2. Installation according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the carrier is a trolley.

3. Installation according to claim 2 characterized by the fact that said trolley has a flat supporting platform.

4. Installation according to claim 2 characterized by the fact that said trolley has a supporting platform of semi-cylindrical shape.

5. Installation according to claim 1 wherein said treatment chamber is a sleeve of flexible material, said installation also including annular elements adapted to receive thereover end portions of said treatment chamber and flexible belt means adapted to retain said end portions on said annular elements.

6. Installation according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the second chamber in'which the steam is adapted to be cooled and oversaturated consists of a cylindrical container lying horizontally, the open end of which is adapted to be put in communication with the treatment chamber, and castors having said horizontal cylindrical chamber mounted thereon. v

7. Installation according to claim-6, comprising a tube having a circular bend and mounted inside aforesaid container and near its closed end, which tube has a series of holes in the side which faces the treatment chamber, through which holes steam is adapted to be projected into aforesaid container.

8. Installation according to claim 7, characterized by the fact, that behind aforesaid tube having a circular bend and on the center line of the container, 21 spraying device is provided whichvis adapted to atomize the supply of water into the steam.

9. Installation according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the lower part of aforesaid container carries a pan or sump in which the excess of spray water is collected and of which it can be drained.

10. Installation according to claim 1, characterized by the fact, that the means provided for drawing the mixture of steam and water through the mass of tobacco consists of a motor-driven aspirator.

11. Installation according to claim 10 comprising a funnel-shaped element disposed between and in communication with the treatment chamber and the aspirator, said funnel shaped elementand said aspirator having a small opening therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 252,926 Burdick Jan. 31, 1882 258,739 Foss May 30, 1882 649,606 Hysore May 15, 1900 1,543,245 Buensod June 23, 1925 1,545,811 Buensod July 14, 1925 1,693,989 Milligan et al. Dec. 4, 1928 1,789,435 Hawkins Jan. 20, 1931 2,207,755 Palmer July 16, 1940. 2,217,934 Baer Oct. 15, 1940 2,591,026 Touton Apr. 1, 1952 

